


Lift the Veil

by leighmeanhoe (felovabriel)



Series: SKZ Halloween 2018 [1]
Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Not K-Pop Idols, Chan wants to try paranormal investigation, M/M, Supernatural Elements, Will add tags as I go, human chan, witch!Woojin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-01
Updated: 2018-10-31
Packaged: 2019-07-23 09:02:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16155890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/felovabriel/pseuds/leighmeanhoe
Summary: Chan wants to try his hand at paranormal investigating after hearing about a haunted apartment.  Woojin is just tagging along to keep him safe.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Happy first of Halloween!  
> I've been kind of in & out of the writing game for a while now, but I wanted to try something fun for October. I'm going to try to do inktober too, so...we'll see how that goes. But! Hopefully this is something you guys can enjoy while I work on something bigger and better~  
> Special thanks to [this post](https://changbeanie.tumblr.com/post/178467381829/ok-but-just-imagine-paranormal-investigator) for helping me figure out what the hell I was going to do with this.
> 
> (I was going to read over this again & edit but I have zero motivation oops)

_His conversation—seldom—_

_His laughter, like the Breeze—_

_That dies away in Dimples_

 

_Among the pensive Trees—_

                                                  -Emily Dickinson, "The Only Ghost I Ever Saw"

 

* * *

 

The library was filled with quiet sounds up on the second floor, but Bang Chan could hear the usual chaos going on below him.  He did his best to ignore it, narrowing his eyes as he stared at his textbook, but the words swam in front of him. Woojin would tell him he needed to get more sleep, but he didn’t have time for that.

“Did you hear about apartment over on the next block?”  A whispering voice pierced through the quiet, and Chan’s mind latched onto it immediately.  He knew he should keep trying to focus, maybe tell the person to be quiet, but his desperate need for a break won over.

“No.  What about it?” asked another voice.  It was louder than the first, the second person not really making an effort to keep their voice low.  Someone shushed them from across the room, but a part of Chan secretly hoped they wouldn’t take it too seriously.  There was a pause, but then the first voice continued.

“Apparently it’s haunted.  Two people moved in and out in the last year.  I was sort of friends with the girl who lived their last, and she said there was something there always trying to mess with them.”

The second person scoffed, but Chan’s interest was piqued.  He glanced around surreptitiously, then scooped up his things and moved over to the other table.  The boys there looked up at him in surprise, and he blushed under two pairs of wide, dark eyes.

“Sorry, um...I kind of overheard you,” he admitted, keeping his own voice low.  The first boy broke into a huge, bright grin, seemingly grateful to have someone take an interest in his story.  The other still looked a bit suspicious, but Chan could live with that. He didn’t have the information Chan wanted.

“I’m Bang Chan, by the way…” he offered, hoping to make himself come off as more trustworthy.  To his surprise, both of them relaxed as if they recognized his name.

“Oh!  Changbin-hyung and Woojin-hyung’s friend,” the first boy said, confirming his suspicion, “I’m Hwang Hyunjin.”

“Kim Seungmin,” the second added.  Chan recognized the name as one Changbin complained about sometimes, but he just offered his own bright, warm smile.  It was exhausting sometimes, but he wanted everyone to like him. It seemed to be working, if the smile that tugged at Seungmin’s lips was any indication.

“Yeah, that’s me.  Nice to meet you,” Chan told them brightly.  There was another shushing sound from across the room, and Chan’s ears went pink in embarrassment.  He cleared his throat awkwardly and tried to return to the conversation he’d barged in on. “So, um, the apartment is haunted?”

Hyunjin’s eyes lit up, and he nodded excitedly.  Seungmin rolled his eyes, but he looked as affectionate as he did exasperated.

“Yeah!  I heard it’s, like, a kid spirit or something.  Or like our age? I don’t think anyone’s checked it out yet,” Hyunjin whispered excitedly.

“No one  _ has _ to,” Seungmin pointed out, “Just because you’re f--”  Hyunjin moved faster than Chan could see, slapping his hand over Seungmin’s mouth to cut him off.  This time, the loud sound rang out across the floor, earning them several dirty looks.”

“Right, um…” Chan began again after a moment.  There was an awkward tension in the air now. He sat back a little, knowing he should leave but wanting to hear just a little more.

“Do you, uh, know the address?” he asked hopefully.

“Yeah, um, you want it?”  Hyunjin sounded unsure, but he was in too deep to back out now.  He held out a hand, and Chan put his phone into it without hesitation.  Hyunjin quickly put his number in, texted himself, and sent back the address, all the while ignoring the looks Seungmin kept giving him.

With his phone back in his hand, Chan thanked them and dumped his stuff into his bag.  He felt like he’d overstayed his welcome this time, but he definitely wanted to see Hyunjin and Seungmin around again.  Maybe next time, he’d be the one with news for them.

After all, he was going to have to check out this haunted apartment.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! This chapter is short and not really everything I wanted, but I really don't have the time to fix it today...Just for this month, I'm trying to challenge myself to have something every day for a tiny series of Halloween themed fics.

Woojin jumped as the door of his dorm room slammed open and Chan tumbled inside.  He shouldn’t really be surprised, but he frowned down at the slash of ink across his paper before looking up at Chan.

“You sure know how to make an entrance…” he pointed out dryly, but as soon as Chan looked up at him, he could feel a smile tugging at his lips.  He’d never been very good at pretending Chan didn’t affect him. How the other had never noticed was beyond anyone’s comprehension.

“Come ghost hunting with me,” Chan insisted, flopping down on the couch.  His head landed in Woojin’s lap, and he ran his fingers through Chan’s hair affectionately even as he rolled his eyes.

“Is this your new thing?  Or are you just avoiding that paper that’s due next week?” he asked teasingly.

Chan pouted, his nose scrunching up in that cute way that made Woojin want to coo over him and kiss him.

“It’s not that,” Chan insisted, still pouting, “This kid in the library was talking about a haunted apartment.  It think you know him--Hyunjin?”

Woojin hummed in acknowledgement, but he wasn’t about to let Chan change the subject.  Although it might have been smarter if he did, honestly. After a moment where Chan just closed his eyes, enjoying Woojin’s fingers in his hair, the older prompted him to go on.  “So, Hyunjin was talking about a haunted apartment…?”

“Yeah!” Chan began again, sitting up excitedly, “I think we should check it out.  Apparently it’s a kid spirit. Oh, and this will give me a chance to use that radio thing.”

“I still can’t believe you bought that…” Woojin grumbled.  He knew he should say no and avoid this whole situation, but the excitement and expectation on Chan’s face was hard for him to resist.  The younger boy looked up at him hopefully, his dark eyes wide and eager. Woojin hesitated for a moment, but there was no way he could say no to Chan when he looked like that.

“Alright, but I’m not letting you get hurt,” he told Chan seriously.  He flicked the other’s nose lightly, and a giggle escaped Chan and wrapped itself around Woojin’s heart.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter I meant to edit and then didn't have energy for. I promise I'll have something better soon!

Chan tried not to let Woojin see that he was nervous, but he couldn’t really help it.  He stuck close to the other boy’s side, but Woojin didn’t seem to mind that much. Chan couldn’t help but feel grateful for that.  It didn’t hurt that the whole thing gave him an excuse to cuddle up to Woojin. Not that he really needed one, but...Well, tonight wasn’t the time to be worrying about that.

Everything seemed normal as they approached the apartment building.  The streets were empty and dirty, as they usually were in this area once school let out.  There were a few restaurants on the next street over, and their sounds carried over. It made Chan feel a little better to know that normal life was continuing on close to them.

“Are you okay?” Woojin asked gently, his breath ruffling Chan’s curls.

Chan looked up at him, his heart stuttering in his chest at how close they were.  He thought about leaning up, finally closing that last little bit of distance between them, but that would be a terrible first kiss.  The air around them was heavy and a bit stale, and his backpack dug into his shoulders, filling to bursting with recording equipment he thought he could use for the paranormal too.  Besides, he didn’t know if Woojin liked him like that, and he definitely didn’t want to make things awkward before they went into this apartment.

Woojin’s brows lifted in question, and Chan realized he’d been spacing out again.  He blushed bright red and nodded quickly, clearing his throat.

“Yeah.  Yeah, I’m fine.  Did Hyunjin tell you anything else about this place?” he asked, trying to change the subject.  Woojin smiled a little indulgently and let him.

“A little bit.  He said his friend only lived there for a few months, but whatever was in the house tried to make contact several times.  Her little sister said she saw a boy with braces, but they didn’t stick around long after that,” Woojin explained.

Chan nodded, taking in the information.  He didn’t know what else to say, so he let the silence drag on as they made their way up the last few streets.  When they reached the building, Chan realized they had another problem in their way.

“Shit.  How are we going to get in?” he asked, frowning at the lock on the door.  He worried his lower lip between his teeth as his mind race. He didn’t want to lug all his equipment back home without having done anything, and he’d dragged Woojin out here--

The thought was cut off as Woojin gently moved him aside and crouched down, slipping something into the lock.  By the time Chan realized he was picking it, there was a small  _ snic! _ and Woojin stepped back.

Chan gaped at him for a moment, stunned.  He never thought Woojin would be the type to have a skill like that, much less use it.

“What?” Woojin asked, a little defensively, “It’s not hard, and you really want to do this, right?”

Chan hesitated a moment, his sense of morality fighting with his curiosity.  But Woojin was right, he really did want to do this. And what if the ghost needed help.

“Yeah...Thanks,” he replied finally.  Woojin held the door open for him, and he slipped through with a tight smile.

The building was dark and quiet, only a few lights buzzing in the hallway.  Woojin took the lead, heading up the narrow flight of stairs to the second floor.  Chan, figuring that Hyunjin had probably given Woojin the apartment number, followed him.  They kept going until they hit the third floor, and then Woojin pulled out that lock-picking kit again as they approached another door.  Chan felt a little less guilty about this one, since he knew there was no one living behind this door.

“Oh...it’s small…” Chan commented as he stepped in, looking around.  For some reason, he’d expected a haunted place would be more...dramatic.  This was just your average cramped apartment, although the lack of furniture made it look bigger than it was.

Feeling eyes on him, Chan looked back and made eye contact with Woojin.  Despite being friends for years, he couldn’t read the expression on the other’s face right now.  He quirked a brow, questioning, but only got a small, forced smile in return.

“Are you going to set your stuff up?” Woojin asked, gesturing to Chan’s heavy bag.  The slightly younger boy nodded, shrugging the backpack off. It was digging into his shoulder painfully, so now was as good a time as any.

He was setting up a tripod when he heard a sharp intake of breath from Woojin.  He looked up, concerned, but the other wasn’t looking at him.

“Woojin…?” he asked softly.  Concern for his friend beat out his interest in the case, and he turned his full attention to Woojin for a moment.

“Ah...it’s nothing,” Woojin replied quickly, shaking his head.  He met Chan’s eyes, but he still seemed distracted. Chan hesitated for a moment, but he didn’t push it.  He figured Woojin trusted him not to, so he wouldn’t push it.

“Alright...Um, do you want to start a recorder?” he asked, holding one up.  He usually used it for recording song ideas, but he’d cleared it in preparation for tonight.  Woojin smiled and took it, nodding.

Promising himself that he’d keep an eye on Woojin, Chan turned his attention back to the camera.  He secured it to the tripod, flipped it open, and gasped in shock.

On the tiny screen, Chan saw Woojin looking directly into the face of a boy wearing a wide, hopeful smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhhhh let me know if you noticed any mistakes I guess? this was written about 10 words at a time so I really can't promise quality


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Helloooo everyone! How much are you loving I am YOU?? I can't believe the boys blessed us with four incredible albums this year~
> 
> Ahh this was originally a challenge to myself to write every day and do some more unusual supernatural themes for all the popular ships, but...things have been a lot rougher lately than I ever expected. Right now, my goal is just to finish this before the end of the month.  
> Also! changed my name here to match my tumblr name. I just feel like it's more fitting to what I've been working on lately.
> 
> Unbeta'd, unedited....again.......

“Woojin,” Chan began quietly, unable to tear his eyes off the unfamiliar figure on the screen.

  
Woojin’s head jerked up, his eyes widening when he saw that Chan was so focused on the camera in front of him. Chan watched his tiny figure on the screen bite its lip, taking a step closer to him.

“Channie, are you okay…?” he asked, but there was a strange, strangled sound to his voice. “Can you…?”

Chan had some idea of where he was going with that question, but he wasn’t sure he was ready to answer it. His hands were clammy and shaking, but he looked up and met Woojin’s eyes. The room looked empty to his eyes, but there was still a second figure on the camera screen.

“I…” Chan began, but Woojin was already leaning over to peek at the screen. His eyes widened, but then a grimace twisted his features.

“Woojin?” Chan asked this time, his voice small and uncertain. He didn’t understand his friend’s reaction. Shouldn’t he be as confused and...and scared as he was?

“I’ll explain later,” he promised. That didn’t do anything to help Chan’s confusion, but Woojin was already pressing the recorder and headphones into his hands. “Use this. I, ah...I don’t need it.”

Chan shot Woojin another confused look, but the easiest thing to do now was to go along with the other’s suggestion. Besides, the only thing that he knew for sure in this situation was that he trusted Woojin.

“Can he hear me now?” asked a small, lisping voice that Chan didn’t recognize. It came through the headphones, and his eyes darted around in an attempt to find the speaker. They landed on the camera, and a chill shot through him as he realized the boy on the screen must be looking at him now.

He looked younger than either Chan or Woojin, though he was about the same height as the two of them. He was smiling, but it looked strained and shy, born of nervousness rather than amusement. Despite the cramped apartment, he looked small and lonely as he stood alone in the middle of the empty room. Between the vulnerable sight and the sweet, childish voice in his ears, Chan felt his fear slipping away.

“Yeah, I can hear you,” he answered, and even he could hear how his voice had softened. He and Woojin both realized it was happening. The same thing had happened with most of his other close friends. Chan just wanted to take care of everyone, and this lonely kid was triggering that instinct hard.

Chan hated not being able to make eye contact with the person he was talking to, but he knew the kid was looking at them from the way he looked past the camera. It wasn’t quite eye contact, but it was close enough for now.

“Hi,” the boy said finally, his smile somehow becoming even more shy, “I’m Jeongin.”

Chan wanted to coo at him, but he held that back. He smiled at where he thought Jeongin was. “I'm Chan, and this is Woojin.”

His eyes fell back to the screen in time to see Jeongin nod, his eyes darting between Chan and Woojin. His smile seemed more reassured now, but still so innocent. Chan found himself wondering about the possibility of hugging a ghost.

“You're the first people I've been able to talk to in years,” Jeongin admitted suddenly, breaking into Chan's thoughts. This time, he couldn't stop the small whine of distress that escaped him. After the loneliness in his own past, he didn't want anyone else going through that.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Woojin asked gently, his voice giving Jeongin plenty of room to refuse. Jeongin quickly shook his head, somehow going even paler.

“Alright,” Chan assured him quickly, “You don't have to.” He smiled warmly again, his eyes searching the empty space in front of them. There was a giggle through the headphones, and Chan found himself smiling too. He looked up at Woojin and flushed lightly under the warm gaze he found there.

“A-anyway,” he stuttered out, rubbing at the back of his neck, “I, uh, didn't actually expect this to be so easy. You know, they're always, like, looking around for evidence on TV, but…”

On the screen, Jeongin looked confused for a moment, and his eyes darted to Woojin. Understanding dawned on his face, but that only increased Chan's confusion. He looked at Woojin again, who offered an awkward smile.

“I'll explain later,” he promised, and Chan trusted him.

Chan turned back to Jeongin, glancing down at the tiny screen on the camera just to confirm. It didn’t look like the other was going to move much.

“So, um...you live here alone?” he asked, then immediately felt stupid. There were so many things wrong with that statement, but before he could correct himself, Jeongin surprised him by letting out a little giggle.

“You could say that,” he replied finally, “I kind of wish someone would move in, but I always end up doing something that scares them off…”

“You can stay with me,” Chan offered before he could think the offer through. Jeongin looked up, and Chan couldn’t bring himself to take the words back when he saw the hope shining through the surprised on Jeongin’s face. He heard Woojin’s sharp intake of breath, but the older boy didn’t try to stop him either. He probably figured that, like so much in their lives, Chan was leading them barreling into another wild adventure.

“Wait, but...you can’t see me,” Jeongin realized suddenly, the light dying in his eyes. The sight tugged hard at Chan’s heart; he wanted to pull the small boy into his arms like he would for Jisung or Felix.

“I...Don’t worry about that,” Woojin broke in suddenly, startling Chan. Chan looked up at him, his eyes widening almost comically. His heart flipped at the warm, soft look Woojin gave him.

“You’re such an enabler,” he laughed, glancing away to hide the flush on his cheeks.

“Are you two always like this?” Jeongin asked accusingly, but he was still smiling.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello and happy Halloween!  
> This chapter is part celebration of [my art](http://leighmeanhoe.tumblr.com/post/179495568920/i-am-you-i-see-me-in-you) getting picked for ASC & part just trying to finish this before October is gone again. What are the chances I can get the last chapter out later today?
> 
> Not really edited but I did transfer it from being written out by hand, so it's not totally un-proofread. This is probably the chapter I've been happiest with so far

“Chan,” Woojin spoke suddenly, sliding into the seat opposite his best friend.

Chan jumped, startled. Woojin sounded so serious that for a moment, Chan feared the next words to come out of his mouth. Woojin must have seen the panic in his eyes, because his expression softened with a smile.

“Uh, yeah? What is it?” Chan asked after a moment, feeling a bit flustered under the other’s warm gaze.

“It’s just...I…” Suddenly, Woojin looked like he was struggling to put his thoughts into words. His mouth opened and closed a few times, and he ran a hand through his hair in frustration. Finally, he sat back with a massive sigh.

“Look, Channie, there’s some things you don’t know. About me and...pretty much all our other friends. And Hyunjin. And...I think you should know. Especially if you’re serious about keeping Jeongin around.”

Chan gaped at him as he finished, staring blankly back into Woojin’s earnest eyes.

“I--What--?” he finally managed to stutter out. Woojin surprised him again by reaching out to take his hand, sending a shudder through him. Instinctively, he gripped back just as tightly

“I want to add you to our group chat,” Woojin continued, but his tone suggested that it was a serious matter.

Once again, Chan found himself blinking in confusion. “But we already--”

“A different one,” Woojin broke in, his expression still unusually earnest, “It’ll be easier if we all explain, but...I need to show you something first.”

Numbly, Chan nodded.

* * *

 

Back at Woojin’s apartment, Woojin led them back to his room. Chan didn’t come here much--Woojin was a fairly private person and of course Chan respected that.

Woojin dropped his hand and sat on the floor, pulling something out from under his bed.

“Woojin…” Chan began softly, surprised by the paraphernalia Woojin was revealing. Candles, jars of herbs, a half-burned sage stick, something that looked like a homemade ouija board...Chan never would have guessed his best friend had anything like this.

Still, when Woojin patted the ground next to him, Chan sat without a second thought. He was eager for answers, and if he was honest, his curiosity was piqued. Woojin took a deep breath, and Chan heard it shake as he released it.

“I don’t know how much of this stuff you believe, but I’m a witch,” Woojin began. His dark eyes searched Chan’s face for a response, but he kept his own expression carefully neutral.

Chan knew there were more important--and more interesting--things to focus on in this situation, but he found himself stuck on the semantics.

“Witch?” he repeated, his brows pulling together in confusion, “Not wizard?”

His heart warmed at the relieved, cautiously hopeful smile that spread across Woojin’s face at his answer. Apparently, that was the right thing to say after all.

“No, definitely witch,” he assured Chan, “There’s more to that, but can we talk about it later? I wanted to tell you how Jeongin comes into this.”

Chan nodded eagerly, scooting closer. Woojin seemed relieved to be sharing this part of his life with his best friend; Chan didn’t think he’d ever seen Woojin so happy. It was as if revealing his secrets dropped a weight from his broad shoulders. Chan leaned against him, resting his head on one of those shoulders, and Woojin smiled down at him.

“Sappy,” chided a voice, barely more than a breath of air. It sounded suspiciously like Jeongin.

“Is he here?” Chan asked, knowing Woojin would understand right away. The older boy nodded and gestured to the empty space on the other side of all his witchy tools.

Chan just nodded quietly, mulling over the new information. He believed Woojin without question--Woojin wasn’t the type to lie or play pranks like this.

“Are the others all witches too?” he asked finally, but Woojin shook his head even before Chan finished speaking.

“No, we’re all different. They said I could tell you, but it’s not my place to tell everyone’s secrets.”

Chan nodded again, his heart fluttering at the thought that Woojin had wanted to include him in this. He didn’t exactly know what “this” was or how big it was, but just the thought that Woojin wanted to include him made him smile.

“Whipped,” came Jeongin’s dry whisper.

Woojin’s cheeks colored at the comment, but he just shot an unamused look across the room and turned back to Chan. It was like the moment had suddenly been reset, and Chan remembered that there was more to what Woojin had been saying.

“So, Jeongin?” he prompted, his eyes wide and curious as he looked up at Woojin.

“Right. Yeah,” Woojin began, taking a breath to steel himself, “So...witches, we usually specialize in something. I have an affinity for spirit work.” He spit the words out quickly, like he was still afraid that they could come back to bite him.

“Oh. Cool,” Chan offered. He smiled, trying to clear Woojin’s still-worried expression, but Woojin just furrowed his brow in frustration.

“Yeah. It’s not, like, some big dark thing like you see in the movies. But yeah. That’s why I can see and hear Jeongin. And...why he’s stronger here.”

“Oh.” This time, the sound slipped through Chan’s lips before he could stop it. Woojin looked down at him in worry, but his expression had cleared in sudden understanding. Until that moment, he’d hardly even realized he was hearing Jeongin without any help from the recording equipment they’d used in the maknae’s former home.

“You’re an idiot, hyung,” Jeongin’s voice offered, but his tone was so full of laughter that Chan couldn’t even find it in himself to be annoyed.

**Author's Note:**

> Come talk to me on tumblr [@leighmeanhoe](https://leighmeanhoe.tumblr.com) or twitter [@sayaleigh](https://twitter.com/SayaLeigh)! I'm lonely & always in the mood to talk about SKZ! Like...always.


End file.
